The Hufflepuff

Four

By the time Friday afternoon began to draw to a close and classes ended for the week Eleanor was convinced that the evening tuition with Malfoy was going to be a complete disaster. Leaving Cynthia who was going for an early dinner in the Great Hall, she continued up to the library with her notes for transfiguration and potions from the past week.

Walking inside the silent library she makes a beeline for the same desk Malfoy had been at last time, ensuring to stay well away from the ever grouchy librarian Madam Pince. While waiting she looks around and only sees two other students nearby, by the looks of it doing research for an essay.

"Can we get started?" Malfoy drawls, dropping down in the seat opposite Eleanor who had been too preoccupied watching the two third years frown and stare in bewilderment at the parchment in front of them to see him walk in.

"Wha- uh, yeah. Yes."

"Potions or Transfiguration first?"

"Well, from the amount of work you brought with you Transfiguration first, as it seems you haven't finished the homework for it yet."

For a fraction of a second Malfoy looks almost bashful, "Are you saying you have finished the homework?"

"I've finished the work for every class," Eleanor says, "It's easy to get it all done if you do it as soon as it's assigned. Why put off until tomorrow what can be done today?"

"That's disgustingly practical."

"And yet, of the two of us I will be the one to enjoy my weekend to its fullest potential."

Apparently unable to fault this line of thinking any further Draco sighs and pushes his transfiguration notes towards Eleanor. For several hours they work in a stifling silence, Eleanor looking over Malfoy's notes and helping him add more details before moving on to his essay and making suggestions as he wrote.

As long as the topic was purely academic Malfoy seemed content to follow instruction without any snide comments. But with the noise of students heading off to bed and the knowledge that dinner was likely finished downstairs Eleanor found it harder and harder to concentrate.

"Can we finish here? Pick up with Potions on Sunday?" She asks, stretching in her chair and looking out for Madam Pince as she reaches into the bag beside her and withdraws a block of chocolate.

"I guess. And don't eat that in here, I'm fairly sure the librarian would have a fit and I'll deduct points from you if you do." Malfoy drawls, packing up his work.

"I'm a prefect too, Malfoy, you can't take points from me," she says, ripping open the packet and popping a piece into her mouth.

"Whatever." Mutters Draco, stalking off into the corridor.

Eleanor gathers up her own belongings, taking her time so that she wouldn't have to walk with him down to the lower floors.

As she'd suspected the Great Hall was closed when she passed, the thought of having missed dinner made her stomach rumble even louder so that in the empty hall it almost echoed. Walking down to the Hufflepuff common room, the portrait of food taunting her as she passed the idea suddenly hits her. The kitchens! Surely the elves wouldn't mind if she made the food herself.

Doubling back and reaching up on her toes to reach the pear she tickles it until it opens and climbs through the hole to find the kitchen, a mixture of delicious smells wafting through the air from the numerous meals that are cooked inside. Elves bustle about tidying up the last of the dinner mess, a few of them sitting in the kitchen talking while they wait to go off and clean the common rooms when everyone is asleep.

"Hi Dobby," she calls out to the only free house elf she'd ever met who had several knobbly hats on his head and a pair of bright odd socks pulled up over his legs.